The present invention relates to sliding visors and particularly to an economical low profile sliding visor.
Numerous proposals for sliding visors exist in which the visor body slides over a visor rod utilizing some form of slide mechanism to provide a sliding interface between the body and the visor rod. U.S. Pat. Nos. 6,474,717; 6,174,019; 5,765,899; 5,653,490; 5,645,308; 5,409,285; 5,161,850; 5,004,288; 4,998,765; 4,925,233; and 4,582,356 are representative of different approaches employed in connection with such sliding visors. Many of the structures employed in sliding visor designs require a unique detent spring and large, frequently separate sliding mechanisms which extend within channels formed in the visor body to achieve the desired sliding action. As a result, sliding visors tend to be somewhat bulkier and expensive to manufacture.
Further, during use, some visors exhibit an uneven or uncontrolled sliding effort which worsens with age. Also, in some of the sliding visor configurations, it is necessary to provide a lubricious material, such as a silicone lubricant to the slide mechanism which lubricant can, if it seeps from the slide area, stain the upholstery material of the visor. There remains a need, therefore, for a sliding visor assembly which is relatively inexpensive and can be accommodated in a relatively thin, lightweight visor body and provides a controlled sliding force over the life of the visor.